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Eric Bibb: The Happiest Man in the World Review by Jazz Weekly

As the album here says on the front cover, “Blues Is A Beautiful Landscape.” Here, you get it on the back porched and plugged in.

Eric Bibb plays 6 & 12 string guitar, 6 string banjo and guitalele as well as delivering vocals in a wonderfully sandied voice. He’s teamed up with in a mix and match collection here with Danny Thompson/b, Olli Haavista/dobro-g, Petri Hakala/mand-g-fid, Janne Haavista/dr and a handful of cameo guests on mostly originals and a ringer. You get country pickin’ delights on the title track and cheery “Tell Ol Bill” while you’re sittin’ on a cozy swing to the delightful “Toolin’ Down The Road.” The strings twinkle on “Rison of Time” and the team picks and grins on “King Size Bed. “ A couple instruments such as “1912 Skiing Disaster” has some wonderful steel guitar, but the clincher is the closing piece; a remake of The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me” along with Pepe Ahlquist’s harmonica and bluesy guitars that put the British Invasion classic into blue overalls. YEE HAW!!